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TCA: Spike Lee Meets Steve Nash

July 10, 2008 | 1:15
pm

Talk about the power of film to help overcome insurmountable divisions: Phoenix Suns star Steve Nash and New York Knicks fan Spike Lee sat side-by-side without apparent rancor Thursday at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills.

The NBA’s former most valuable player and one of Hollywood’s most popular directors shared a stage to promote their upcoming contributions to ESPN Films. Lee directed a documentary called “Game Day with Kobe,” as in the Lakers star who is the NBA’s current MVP, that is slated to air in the fall.

The director, who struck up a friendship with Bryant while shooting a commercial in Rome, used 30 cameras and gained unprecedented behind the scenes access to the Lakers star for the piece, which centers on a playoff game against the San Antonio Spurs.

Meanwhile, Nash, a longtime film enthusiast, is making his directorial debut for an ESPN documentary about Canadian Terry Fox, a young athlete who died in 1981 of cancer. Fox inspired Canadians with his heroic goal to run across his native country to raise money and awareness for cancer research. Despite having an artificial leg, he ran over 3,000 miles before eventually being forced to quit because of his illness.

When asked by one reporter if Nash has been traded to the Knicks, Lee -- who donned a Yankees cap -- laughed and said, “It’s true.”

Naturally, with Lee on stage, the questions veered toward the political. When asked about the chances of the presumptive Democratic nominee, Barack Obama, winning the White House in November, Lee confidently predicted victory.

“It’s going to be one of the most historic moments in American history, world history,” said Lee. “Everything will be affected by this seismic change in the universe.”